minimizing electronic scale drift

VinceMarksman said:
correct me if im wrong guys, but looking into this issue, it looks like the most accurate way to weight charges is with a good old mecanical beam scale. Despite being longer, it looks more accurate. It is also not that longer if you consider all the rezeroing and restarting and pissing around an electronic scale seems to involve...
Click to expand...

For the price, you can't beat a beam scale. Mine was used off the EE for like $30. Can't even get a garbage digital scale for that much.

Its slow, but I can't afford a $500+ scale so I'll just keep my Lee beam scale and make crazy accurate at a slower pace.
 
The electronic scale on my bench has been "on" for the last 30 years. I am now on my second unit. I found leaving it on helps it remain more stable.

Does your unit have a plug on the side for using a 110v plug adaptor?

When my first unit died (last year) I bought a GemPro 250. Cost $125 USD on ebay. I really like the second decimal place.

It came with an anti static mat to sit on and I find the unit very stable.
 
VinceMarksman said:
I have ask similar in the past and received several good advice how to prevent my cheap hornady gs-1500 scale f***ness.

I now reload without my cellphone, door is closed and there is no neon light in the basement. But it seems to be a hit and miss. Sometimes it will weight the cup at 128,4-5 and stay there once tared but other times it will weight in at 128,4-5 and once tared it will eventually drift up to 128,6-7-8 or down to 128,3-2.

It pissed me off and I want to throw it on the wall but then I won't be able to reload for a while.

Tonight it did drift several times. I stoped, went upstairs and had a shower and changed clothes (static electricity?) and went back downstairs for more reloading. It did fine for 10 minutes then started to f___ arround again.

Are there any other ways to prevent this very frustrating phenomenon (other then buying a new scale) and are all electronic scale prone to this problem?
Click to expand...

Pit your scale on a bounce sheet, this should help with static electricity
 
kodiakjack said:
Forgive my ignorance fellas, but how does fluorescent lights or a cell phone affect the scale?
Click to expand...

I don't know precisely why the fluorescent lights affect electronic scales, but from personal experience I've found that they do - at least to some degree or another. A recent post in this same reloading section asked about RCBS Chargemaster, Hornady Lock 'n Load dispenser, etc. My post on that subject mentioned the fluorescent lights - I was getting some variation with my Chargemaster digital scale/dispenser until I figured it out, hung some LED shoplights above the bench and turned off the fluorescent lights in the basement where my bench is. An electrical engineer working for the same employer as me mentioned an electro-magnetic field from the ballast - unless a shielded ballast unit the field can raise hell with electronics. Which makes sense on the face of it.

Here's the link to that thread, I believe another poster made reference to the same issue as well. https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/for...arge-Powder-Dispenser?p=13648091#post13648091

O.N.G.
 
OldNewGuy said:
I don't know precisely why the fluorescent lights affect electronic scales, but from personal experience I've found that they do - at least to some degree or another. A recent post in this same reloading section asked about RCBS Chargemaster, Hornady Lock 'n Load dispenser, etc. My post on that subject mentioned the fluorescent lights - I was getting some variation with my Chargemaster digital scale/dispenser until I figured it out, hung some LED shoplights above the bench and turned off the fluorescent lights in the basement where my bench is. An electrical engineer working for the same employer as me mentioned an electro-magnetic field from the ballast - unless a shielded ballast unit the field can raise hell with electronics. Which makes sense on the face of it.

Here's the link to that thread, I believe another poster made reference to the same issue as well. https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/for...arge-Powder-Dispenser?p=13648091#post13648091

O.N.G.
Click to expand...

Interesting.

I wonder if the little spiral cfl lights would create issues too?
 
Digital scales are sensitive to external electrical/magnetic fields, ambient temperature and line voltage.

That's why a good old fashion triple poise beam sits atop my reloading bench.
 
I have a Sartorius acculab. Florescent lights definitely cause drift. So does moving around in the room too quickly. With accuracy comes sensitivity.

Its a digital electronic scale. Anything with an EM field in close proximity is going to affect it. My scale always knew my phone was going to ring about a second before my phone did. Phone no longer is present when reloading. I also have to turn the furnace ducts off in my reloading room, otherwise air currents can cause drift.

I use DC power from an AC outlet. Tying a knot in the cord just in front of the connector that goes into the scale is supposed to help, them same way you can wrap the cord around a magnet to help reduce noise and static on the power line.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom